RainyDay Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 I bought a car that runs on diesel (gasoil) three years ago after hearing how much those diesel motored cars had improved. I am delighted with this car (a Spanish-made Seat Toledo). A tankful costs about some $50-55, even with the recent 10 percent oil price increase. The car runs some 600 miles on a tankful (at legal limit speeds). Diesel is the way to go for me now... Push over! Wow, diesel. Just think of what it is doing to the air quality. Do kids have rising rates of asthma in your neck of the woods? Do you use very low sulphur diesel? Does your vehicle have an emission control device or NOx filter on it? Diesel is really bad stuff if you are using regular diesel wihout any emissions controls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 Rainy Day, the new diesel-powered cars over here have much improved emission control systems. The diesel cars of several years ago were smelly, smoky, noisy cars. That's over now. And if that was not enough to clear my pollution level near zero, I almost never drive in Paris. 95 per cent of my driving is on the open road. My conscience is clear. And my son is asthma-free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 Current gas prices are bad enough, do you actually prefer that prices rise to the level of Europe with massive taxation? I do, but you'd have to come "you know where" for an explanation... It was $2.22 yesterday when we filled up, but I use my bike, and the wife doesn't have that far to drive to get to work. Those "Sunday afternoon drives" of my youth are nothing but a fond memory, but it doesn't hurt that much. Now if you want to talk about housing costs here in the SF Bay area... $2.28 where I fill up, and no, I DON'T want to talk about housing costs in the goddamn Bay Area, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainyDay Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 (edited) Rainy Day, the new diesel-powered cars over here have much improved emission control systems. The diesel cars of several years ago were smelly, smoky, noisy cars. That's over now. And if that was not enough to clear my pollution level near zero, I almost never drive in Paris. 95 per cent of my driving is on the open road. My conscience is clear. And my son is asthma-free Glad to hear that. I don't how different things are across Europe. In California, emission controls are tighter than in other parts of the country and we still have serious air quality problems and asthma is a growing problem with kids. In the California Central Valley, growers finally lost their exemption from emission controls on farm equipment. Edited May 16, 2004 by RainyDay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 The Hummers are an abomination to the enivronment. It's bad enough that there are a lot of gazz guzzlers. But that thing should be banned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainyDay Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 Current gas prices are bad enough, do you actually prefer that prices rise to the level of Europe with massive taxation? I do, but you'd have to come "you know where" for an explanation... It was $2.22 yesterday when we filled up, but I use my bike, and the wife doesn't have that far to drive to get to work. Those "Sunday afternoon drives" of my youth are nothing but a fond memory, but it doesn't hurt that much. Now if you want to talk about housing costs here in the SF Bay area... $2.28 where I fill up, and no, I DON'T want to talk about housing costs in the goddamn Bay Area, thank you. Who are you telling? My neighbor and I were talking about the fact that only in California can a house in the ghetto go for darn near half a million dollars. It doesn't make any sense. I filled up my tank yesterday and gas in Alameda was $2.29/gallon. I only needed 5+ gallons but still. When and if I buy another car, it will be a hybrid, but not that dinky Prius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 The Hummers are an abomination to the enivronment. It's bad enough that there are a lot of gazz guzzlers. But that thing should be banned. Ha! Surely you must know of the recent tax break that the Bush administration just gave the Hummer right? They passed a law allowing businesses to write 100% of the purchase price of a business vehicle with a gross weight of 5,000 lbs (or some such number). It was supposedly meant to allow farmers to purchase large equipment but the result is that every business in the US is buying Hummers and using them as "company cars" and writing the whole price off their company's bottom line. Ban them? Bush & his oil buds are reveling in it! BTW, at the same time they did this, they also refused to extend the tax break for hybrid-electric cars like my Prius. I got a $2,000 tax deduction for my car because I put it on the road by the end of 2003. It is decreasing by $500 every year until it's gone. So, by 2007, there will be no tax benefit to buying a gas-saving vehicle... I wonder if by then, the car companies will all have 5 or 10 models each that meet the weight requirements for this new tax break? Later, Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vajerzy Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Kevin- excellent point about the Hummer and the tax break- I was going to say the same thing myself, except you said it more clearly...... Amazing to see so many Hummers on the road around here- haven't noticed any until a year or so ago. What the hell do people need that for?? It's another status symbol........how big is your house, what subdivision you live in, what swim club you belong to..... I commute 30 miles each way- glad it's country roads- and I get 38 mpg in my Toyota Corolla. On the other hand, driving my 1967 F-100 with a 352 V8 gets me 11 mpg......... It seems that the USA is becoming MORE reliant on the mideast and less self-sufficient, as evidence by the larger vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Amazing to see so many Hummers on the road around here- haven't noticed any until a year or so ago. What the hell do people need that for?? It's another status symbol........how big is your house, what subdivision you live in, what swim club you belong to..... No, it is not a status symbol at all! Maybe I wasn't clear... the reason you started seeing so many Hummers about a year ago was that they are now basically free for anyone working in a corporate position requiring a company car. FREE. The company gets to take a 100% tax credit for their Hummer. Think about it... let's say the company buys a Ford Taurus and gives it to their employee to use. It probably costs the company $7K per year to amortize the thing. After about 3 years, it has about $8K on the books and they sell it (usually to an employee) and move on to the next one. Now let's say the company buys the same employee a Hummer. Businesses file quarterly, right? Well, first quarter, they write it off! Gone off the books. I bet they can even sell it after a certain period of time and make money. From an accounting point of view, it's a no-brainer. Up in the Boston area late last year, there were Hummer dealers advertising "free Hummers" to businesses. Believe me, they saw this loophole and took full advantage of it. I bet there isn't one company that doesn't know about this. Later, Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minew Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Coincidentally, this is National Bike To Work Week. I bike to work every day. If you live within 10 miles of your work, you can probably bike to work. Save money, get exercise, get out of traffic, preserve the environment, do a few wheelies, and feel totally superior to the car people. Do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted May 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Coincidentally, this is National Bike To Work Week. I bike to work every day. If you live within 10 miles of your work, you can probably bike to work. Save money, get exercise, get out of traffic, preserve the environment, do a few wheelies, and feel totally superior to the car people. Do it! I tried this last week. Nearly got myself killed by someone in, yes believe it or not, a Hummer. My wife doesn't want me doing it because of that. I live 8.3 miles from my job. Did in 30 minutes. It can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vajerzy Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Kevin- you were *very* clear.......I added my observations of what I see around here......it is a status symbol in addition to the tax benefits. I live in a rural part of VA. About 5 miles away is a small ranch house where a guy runs some sort of construction business- parked in front of the house is a canary yellow hummer, along with a few of work vehicles. I'm thinking "that thing is worth more than his house"........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Coincidentally, this is National Bike To Work Week. I bike to work every day. If you live within 10 miles of your work, you can probably bike to work. Save money, get exercise, get out of traffic, preserve the environment, do a few wheelies, and feel totally superior to the car people. Do it! I would if I could! It was the perfect setup for me before I got transferred. I could hop on my bike and soon be on a paved bike/walking trail that goes straight downtown. I didn't even have to deal with traffic as long as I was on the path. What was interesting is that it took me about 15 minutes to drive there, and only 20 to bike. And of course the bike path was much more interesting. I've been given a glimmer of hope that I might be back there soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted May 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Olny gets worse. Oil Hits New High on Supply Fears 2 hours, 56 minutes ago Add Business - Reuters to My Yahoo! LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a new high on Monday on simmering concern that rapid fuel demand growth will outpace global supplies at a time when traders fear a sabotage attack on the Middle East oil infrastructure. U.S. light crude reached $41.85 a barrel, the highest price since the New York Mercantile Exchange launched the crude contract in 1983. Later it eased to $41.28, down 10 cents on the day. London's Brent crude eased 12 cents to $37.74 a barrel. "The short-term is dominated by low gasoline stocks in the United States and Europe and deterioration of the Middle East situation. Neither is likely to change much in the months to come," said Societe Generale economist Frederic Lasserre. Low U.S. gasoline inventories ahead of peak demand in the summer months, a surge in global consumption driven by healthy economic growth and worries that instability in the Middle East may disrupt supplies have attracted investment hedge funds to oil in droves. Crude prices are up $9 a barrel, or 28 percent, since the end of last year. The United States has led consumer countries' calls on the OPEC (news - web sites) producer cartel to release more supply as fears gather of inflation and a slowdown in economic growth. OPEC, which controls half of world crude exports will convene informally later this week on the sidelines of an Amsterdam conference and again in Beirut on June 3 for a full ministerial meeting. Ministers will discuss a proposal from Saudi Arabia to raise the group's official production limits by at least 1.5 million bpd to cool prices. OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Monday the cartel was unhappy with such high oil prices. "High oil prices can cause recession. We are not happy with high oil prices," said Purnomo, who is also Indonesia's oil minister. Even so, oil dealers are skeptical OPEC has enough spare production capacity to bring prices down as most OPEC countries, except top exporter Saudi Arabia, are producing flat out. The group is currently pumping more than two million bpd above its official production ceiling of 23.5 million bpd to feed demand, which has been especially strong in China and the United States. Iran, OPEC's second-biggest producer, has given guarded support to the Saudi proposal, cautioning that oversupply could deflate oil prices toward autumn. "A possible increase of OPEC production by 1.5 million barrels per day would display the organization's co-operation and understanding with consumers even though OPEC is not responsible for the situation," Iran's OPEC Governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said. "We are still concerned about the trend of crude oil stockpiling by the consumer countries...that may push prices down in the future as we enter into autumn," he said. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said it was not necessary for OPEC to increase production, while Algeria and Qatar have expressed doubt that extra OPEC supply will bring down prices. Saudi Arabia has already allocated higher June supply for U.S. and European customers, and state tanker firm Vela booked extra super tankers to the United States for June loading. "The Saudis are not going to let prices run up to levels that could damage the global economy in the long run and thereby result in demand destruction for crude," said Washington D.C.-based analysts PFC Energy in a report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 Current gas prices are bad enough, do you actually prefer that prices rise to the level of Europe with massive taxation? I do, but you'd have to come "you know where" for an explanation... It was $2.22 yesterday when we filled up, but I use my bike, and the wife doesn't have that far to drive to get to work. Those "Sunday afternoon drives" of my youth are nothing but a fond memory, but it doesn't hurt that much. Now if you want to talk about housing costs here in the SF Bay area... $2.28 where I fill up, and no, I DON'T want to talk about housing costs in the goddamn Bay Area, thank you. Who are you telling? My neighbor and I were talking about the fact that only in California can a house in the ghetto go for darn near half a million dollars. It doesn't make any sense. I filled up my tank yesterday and gas in Alameda was $2.29/gallon. I only needed 5+ gallons but still. When and if I buy another car, it will be a hybrid, but not that dinky Prius. The trouble is, they aren't making enough of 'em. I heard there's a 4 or 5 month waiting period to get a hybrid. If they started importing them in job lots of 100,000 they WOULD sell, in this state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted May 17, 2004 Report Share Posted May 17, 2004 I filled up my tank yesterday and gas in Alameda was $2.29/gallon. I only needed 5+ gallons but still. When and if I buy another car, it will be a hybrid, but not that dinky Prius. I assume you are talking about the 2000-2003 Prius? I don't think my 2004 Prius is "dinky". In fact, it seems pretty big to me. It is slotted as a "mid size car" and is only inches smaller than the Camry. It's certainly a lot bigger than the Echo. On top of that, since it's a hatchback, it has tons of hauling room. Later, Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted May 18, 2004 Report Share Posted May 18, 2004 $2.24 in the 'burbs of Chicago.... I was thinking about this song as I filled up this morning. The Kinks- Gallon Of Gas I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS TO BUY A BRAND NEW CADILLAC BUT NOW I'VE GOT ONE, I WANT TO SEND IT RIGHT BACK I CAN'T AFFORD THE GAS TO FILL MY LUXURY LIMOUSINE BUT EVEN IF I HAD THE DOUGH NO ONE'S GOT NO GASOLINE I WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO SEE IF HE COULD SET ME STRAIGHT HE SAID THERE'S A LITTLE GAS GOING BUT I'D HAVE TO WAIT BUT HE OFFERED SOME RED HOT SPEED AND SOME REALLY HIGH GRADE HASH BUT A GALLON OF GAS CAN'T BE PURCHASED ANYWHERE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF CASH I CAN SCORE YOU SOME COKE AND SOME GRADE ONE GRASS BUT I CAN'T GET A GALLON OF GAS I'VE GOT SOME DOWNERS SOME SPEED ALL THE DRUGS THAT YOU NEED BUT I CAN'T GET A GALLON OF GAS THERE'S NO MORE LEFT TO BUY OR SELL THERE'S NO MORE OIL LEFT IN THE WELL A GALLON OF GAS CAN'T BE PURCHASED ANYWHERE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF CASH WHO NEEDS A CAR AND A SEVEN-FORTY-SEVEN WHEN YOU CAN'T BUY A GALLON OF GAS WHO NEEDS A HIGHWAY, AN AIRPORT OR A JET WHEN YOU CAN'T GET A GALLON OF GAS THERE'S NO MORE LEFT TO BUY OR SELL THERE'S NO MORE OIL LEFT IN THE WELL A GALLON OF GAS CAN'T BE PURCHASED ANYWHERE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF CASH YOU CAN'T BUY A GALLON OF GAS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris olivarez Posted May 18, 2004 Report Share Posted May 18, 2004 Until Americans tire of driving gas guzzling cars,financing the lavish lifestyles of corrupt sheiks as well as Bush's campaign contributors I really dont see any change coming anytime soon. What's needed is to find practical ways other than gasoline to power those autos. The next war that Americans should fight is against the oil companies that hold us all hostage. If that doesn't happen then it is what is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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